But the #MeToo wave exposing sexual misconduct which began in Hollywood slammed into the US capital this week, triggering a dizzying slew of allegations, apologies and resignations.

Democratic Senator Al Franken said he was sorry after a radio talk show host accused him of forcibly kissing her in 2006 — two years before voters in Minnesota sent him to the Senate — and for posing for a picture which showed him groping her breasts as she slept.

President Donald Trump, despite numerous allegations that he has personally engaged in lewd conduct towards women, was quick to pile on, calling him “Al Frankenstien” (sic) and saying the picture was “really bad.”

When asked by reporters on Friday the difference between the allegations against Trump and those against Franken, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders replied: “Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn’t.”

“I think that’s a very clear distinction,” she added.

Trump’s Twitter attack on the Democratic senator was in stark contrast to his relative silence over another scandal — allegations that the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Alabama, Roy Moore, once preyed on teenage girls.

Meanwhile, two female members of the House of Representatives — one Democrat and one Republican — have accused two lawmakers, who they declined to name, of sexual harassment.

And a congresswoman’s chief of staff resigned amid allegations that he had sexually harassed co-workers.

Former president George H.W. Bush, 93, has also found himself in the line of fire, accused by half a dozen women of groping them during photo ops, both before and after he became confined to a wheelchair.

“There are lot of nervous people around wondering what — who will be next,” Trump aide Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.

Hastert, Thomas, Clinton

One of the most recent and high-profile cases of sexual misconduct in Congress involved the former Republican speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to making illegal payments to hush up his molestation of teenage boys.

Supreme Court judge Clarence Thomas’s Senate confirmation hearing in 1991 was overshadowed by allegations he sexually harassed a staffer, Anita Hill, charges which he denied.

And then of course there is former Democratic president Bill Clinton, who admitted to having sexual relations with an intern, Monica Lewinsky, while serving in the White House.

The Trump presidential campaign repeatedly brought up Clinton’s indiscretions during the bitter 2016 White House race against his wife Hillary.

At the same time, the Trump campaign rejected the claims of multiple women that the billionaire real estate tycoon had acted inappropriately towards them — a pattern of behavior Trump more or less admitted in a notorious 2005 recording.

“I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them,” he said in the audiotape, which surfaced during the campaign. “It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.

“Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything,” Trump said.

On Capitol Hill, Congress is attempting to be proactive in containing the fallout from the new allegations against lawmakers.

Republican speaker Paul Ryan announced this week that the House would adopt “mandatory anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training” for lawmakers and their staff.

“Our goal is not only to raise awareness, but also make abundantly clear that harassment in any form has no place in this institution,” Ryan said.

The Senate made anti-harassment training mandatory last week.

With the debate over sexual misconduct roiling American institutions, a Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio came out Friday with a somewhat unusual statement.

Bill O’Neill, a state supreme court justice, said he was “disappointed by this national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago” and was making a preemptive strike.

To spare his political rivals conducting opposition research, O’Neill said in a Facebook post that he had been “sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females.”

The post immediately earned scorn — even from O’Neill’s own Democratic Party.

All three are part of the partnership with Content Panda, an international business division of top Korean distributor Next Entertainment World.

“We are excited to partner with Next Entertainment World to bring multiple upcoming Korean films including director Yeon Sang-Ho’s “Psychokinesis” to our global members,” said Rob Roy, vice president of content acquisition at Netflix. “Netflix will continue to keep a close eye on great global content, as we are committed to providing the best entertainment to our members around the world.”

“Psychokinesis” is the highly anticipated new movie from Yeon Sang-Ho, whose 2016 zombie thriller “Train to Busan” was a smash hit. The new title focuses on superpowers, telling the story of a father who sets out to save his troubled daughter using superpowers that suddenly appeared in him one day.

According to Variety’s website, the film stars Ryu Seungryong (“Miracle in Cell No 7”) and Shim Eunkyung (“Miss Granny”) the voice acting leads in “Seoul Station,” Yeon’s animated prequel to “Train,” Park Jungmin (“Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet”) and “Train” star Jung Yumi.

“Steel Rain” focuses on nuclear threats in the two Koreas when a coup in North Korea forces its leader and his elite guard to come South. “The Chase” is a thriller that features two characters chasing after the suspect in a 30-year-old unsolved case.

“The recent partnership was made possible as both Netflix and NEW agreed on great content,” said Jae-Min Kim, head of overseas sales at Contents Panda.

“We plan to get a head start in the global markets by securing more competitive content in the future.”

Psychokinesis will be available globally on Netflix in 2018. Netflix currently has 109 million global members.

The network’s first Mandarin Original series, “The Teenage Psychic” received 2 nominations and its first returnable series, Halfworlds Season Two, received 1 nod.

“The Teenage Psychic” is nominated in the best actor category for Chen Muyi and best cinematographer while “Halfworlds” Season Two is also a nominee in best cinematography category.

The 22nd Asian Television Awards 2017 will be held in Singapore on December 1 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.

“The Teenage Psychic” was HBO Asia’s first Chinese language series. A coming-of-age story, it revolves around a 16-year-old girl who just wants to lead a typical teenage high-school life. Born with the ability to see spirits, her life will never be normal. She must juggle the pressures of teenage life – first love, academic success and peer pressure – with the demands of the spirit world.

“Halfworlds” Season Two is the eight-part, hour-long dark action fantasy drama, marked HBO Asia’s very first returnable series. Helmed by Thai filmmaker Ekachai Uekrongtham, the series widens the universe established in the first season. Shifting from the back alleys of Jakarta, to the neon streets of Bangkok, it focuses on Juliet, a tenacious researcher trying to uncover the secret world of demons that live amongst us, while looking for an ancient artefact of great power. An ensemble cast of actors from Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines and Taiwan stars.

In 2017, HBO Asia also premiered 2 other Asian Original productions including “Sent”, the network’s first comedy drama series that premiered in September and The “Talwars: Behind Closed Doors” which is HBO Asia’s first original documentary series that kicks off later this month. Since 2012, HBO Asia has produced 10 Asian Originals, with more slated to premiere in the coming years. Other HBO Asia Original productions that have been recognised at the Asian Television Awards include “Serangoon Road”, “Grace” and “Halfworlds” Season One.

The suit, filed by “Jane Doe 1 and on behalf of all others similarly situated,” says the movie mogul assaulted the California actress as she auditioned for a role with Miramax, the studio co-founded by Weinstein and his brother Bob.

“During her audition, Jane Doe 1 was assaulted by Weinstein, threatened, falsely imprisoned, and suffered emotional and physical distress, and was injured in her property or livelihood as a result of Weinstein’s actions,” the suit alleges, without giving a date for the incident.

“Weinstein told Jane Doe 1 that if she refused his advances and his requests, he would ruin her, and he ultimately withdrew the offer he had given her for a part because she would not accede to his advances.”

The complainant’s lawyers appealed to other victims to join the action against the producer, The Weinstein Company and Miramax, now owned by the Qatari beIN Media Group, arguing that “hundreds of other female actors like her” have found themselves on his casting couch.

“Under the guise of meetings ostensibly to help further class members’ careers or hire them for roles, Weinstein isolated (the) plaintiff and the class members in an attempt to engage in unwanted sexual conduct that took many forms: flashing, groping, fondling, battering, sexual assault, attempted rape and/or completed rape,” the lawsuit states.

‘Massive strength’

It adds that victims who wanted careers in film or television “understood that Weinstein was a powerful force in the production world” and acted under duress and the threat of being blacklisted if they rejected him or complained.

The actress is the latest of more than 100 women who have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, ranging from harassment to rape, with high-profile accusers including stars Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The action follows a lawsuit filed against Weinstein and The Weinstein Company in Los Angeles on Tuesday by a single unidentified actress represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred.

The woman says she met the now infamous mogul at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills in late 2015 to discuss being cast in the Netflix series “Marco Polo.”

Once there, however, Weinstein told the woman he wanted to masturbate in front of her and when she said “no” he proceeded to grasp her wrist with one hand and masturbate with the other, the suit alleges.

In the spring of the following year, Weinstein is alleged to have contacted her again as if nothing had happened, giving her the impression she had been cast in “Marco Polo.”

He invited her to meet him again at the Montage Hotel to celebrate and she agreed, according to the woman’s account.

During the meeting, he excused himself and returned in a bathrobe, but when she said she didn’t want to do anything sexual, he dragged her into the bedroom where he used his “massive strength and weight to force himself on her,” the suit alleges.

Battery

The woman said she fled the room as soon as she could break free.

The actress is seeking compensation and damages, claiming sexual battery, assault and negligence.

Weinstein’s representatives denied the latest allegations, as with all the other accusations of non-consensual sexual contact he has faced in recent weeks.

Meanwhile US actor Terry Crews publicly named high-powered agent Adam Venit as the man he claims groped him at a party last year and said he would “not be shamed” by the alleged assault.

“Back in February 2016, I was assaulted by Adam Venit, who is head of the motion picture department at William Morris Endeavor, one of the biggest agencies in the world, period,” Crews, 49, told ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“He’s connected to probably everyone I know in the business … I did not know this man. I have never had a conversation with him, ever.”

Venit has represented a host of stars, from Sylvester Stallone and Eddie Murphy to Steve Martin and Diane Keaton.

WME said in a statement to ABC News it had suspended Venit to look into the claims by Crews, a star of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

“The Magic Order” will appear as a comic book written by Millar with Marvel superstar Olivier Coipel selected as artist for the first volume. This series will be six issues long and the first will be released in the spring.

The Magic Order will be available for sale in print format through comic stores and other retail outlets and will also be available for digital purchase.

“We live in a world where we’ve never seen a monster and these people are the reason we sleep safely in our beds. Magic meets the mob in ‘The Magic Order’, as five families of magicians sworn to protect our world for generations must battle an enemy who’s picking them off one by one. By day they live among us as our neighbours, friends and co-workers, but by night they are the sorcerers, magicians and wizards that protect us from the forces of darkness…unless the darkness gets them first,” says Millar.

“We wanted to make a splash with our first book for Netflix and this is it. I love dark fantasy and there’s an enormous gap in the market for something like this. Netflix hiring Olivier has also made me the happiest guy alive. I’ve been after him for almost ten years so to finally have our names in the same book is an absolute honour” adds the president and chief creative officer of Millarworld, a subsidiary of Netflix.

Binge Racers are defined as members who completed a season of a TV show within 24 hours of its release on Netflix. Data accommodates for time zones and is reflective of a show’s launch within 24 hours of a country’s release.

Accomplishing in a day what takes others weeks to achieve, Binge Racers strive to be the first to finish by speeding through an entire season within 24 hours of its release1.

In total, 8.4 million members have chosen to Binge Race during their Netflix tenure, and the only thing faster than their rate of watching is the rate at which this behaviour continues to grow.

Between 2013 and 2016 the amount of launch-day finishers increased more than 20 times over.

“There’s a unique satisfaction that comes from being the first to finish a story – whether it’s the final page of a book or the last, climactic moments of your favorite TV show.” says Brian Wright, Vice President, Original Series. “Netflix allows you to watch in a way you never could before, and there’s nothing better than seeing a show engage our members and ignite a passion for viewing.”

Whether for the love of one show (five members in the US have raced through all five seasons of “House of Cards” the day they were released) or the love of many shows (a member in France has already raced through 30 shows this year alone), viewers are embracing this new form of fandom the world over. But exactly where Binge Racers live (hint: everywhere) and what they’re watching (hint: everything) may surprise you.

Shows of all shapes, sizes, genres and formats are revving watchers engines. Sure 30-minute comedies like “Master of None”, “GLOW” and “Dear White People” are raced with speed, but hour-long thrillers, like “Stranger Things”, “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black”, and anime, like “The Seven Deadly Sins”, are consumed with fervour as well.

“Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” garnered the most global racers in its 24-hour debut. But the top spot varies slightly by country: “Fuller House” reigns supreme in Ecuador, and “Marvel’s The Defenders” takes the cake (er, The Hand) in Thailand and Korea.

While Binge Racers are watching fast in pursuit of glory across the globe, Canada clocks in with the highest percentage of 24-hour finishers following with Untied States and Denmark. Thai viewers, however, are not in the top 20 but Netflix shows the most favourite Binge Raced Shows in Thailand turns to be “Marvel’s The Defenders” following with “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” and “Santa Clarita Diet”.

Thailand had the highest per cent of Binge Racers globally for “My Only Love Song”

Binge Racing behaviour grew from 200,000 members in 2013 to more than 5 million in 2017 (as of September). Top shows were identified as those with the largest number of Binge Racers globally. Binge Racing ranking has no relation to overall viewership. Top countries were identified as those with the highest percentage of members who are Binge Racers. Binge Race ranking has no relation to overall country membership.

The third “Thor” episode, boosted by the self-mocking humor of Chris Hemsworth as the powerful Norse god (alongside Cate Blanchett as Hela, goddess of death), has taken a total of $212.1 million since opening in North American cinemas — with global earnings reaching the $650 million mark.

In at number two this weekend was Paramount’s newly released “Daddy’s Home 2,” which took $29.7 million, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

A reminder that it’s that time of year already, the Christmas comedy stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as Brad and Dusty — who join forces to give their kids the perfect holiday, but have their efforts challenged when their own fathers show up.

Bagging third place was “Murder on the Orient Express,” the fourth television or cinema adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic detective novel, with earnings of $28.7 million.

The new Fox release was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as part of an A-list cast featuring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench.

Slipping into fourth was “A Bad Moms Christmas,” from STX Entertainment, at $11.5 million.

The comedy stars three women — Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn — whose plans change when their mothers (Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon) drop in unexpectedly for the holidays.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s “Jigsaw,” which sees police investigate a string of horrific murders carried out in the style of supposedly long-dead killer Jigsaw, dropped this weekend from third to fifth place, taking $3.4 million.

Rounding out the top ten were:

“Boo 2! A Madea Halloween” ($2 million)

“Geostorm” ($1.6 million)

“Blade Runner: 2049 ($1.5 million)

“Happy Death Day” ($1.3 million)

“Lady Bird” ($1.2 million)

With a prize of 8,000 euros ($ 9331), the accolade is a boost for Assur’s first full-length feature film after success as a photographer.

Late veteran American actor Harry Dean Stanton was also honoured for one of his last appearances in “Lucky”.

The committee gave Stanton, who died in September aged 91, the festival’s special mention for his role.

The festival’s Silver Alexander, or Special Jury Award, went to Iranian director Vahid Jalilvand for his feature film “No Date, No Signature”.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter published Friday, former model and actor Scott Brunton accused Takei, 80, of groping him while he was passed out from drinking at Takei’s home.

Takei, who was in his early forties when the alleged incident took place, Saturday morning posted on Twitter and Facebook that it “simply did not occur,” adding he did not remember Brunton, who was 23 at the time.

“Right now it is a he said / he said situation, over alleged events nearly 40 years ago,” Takei said. “But those that know me understand that non-consensual acts are so antithetical to my values and my practices, the very idea that someone would accuse me of this is quite personally painful.”

It came as actor Richard Dreyfuss, 70, was also accused of sexual misconduct Friday by writer Jessica Teich, 58.

She alleged the “Jaws” star harassed her over a period of two to three years in the mid-1980s, while she worked on a show he was producing. On one occasion, she said he exposed himself to her.

“He created a very hostile work environment, where I felt sexualized, objectified, and unsafe,” she told Vulture.

In a statement, Dreyfuss — whose son Harry last week accused Kevin Spacey of groping him in 2008 — told Vulture he denied exposing himself to Teich.

However, he said he had “flirted” with women, Teich included, acknowledging “how men have behaved toward women for eons is not OK.”

“I did flirt with her, and I remember trying to kiss Jessica as part of what I thought was a consensual seduction ritual that went on and on for many years,” he said.

“I am horrified and bewildered to discover that it wasn’t consensual. I didn’t get it. It makes me reassess every relationship I have ever thought was playful and mutual.”

Producer Gary Goddard, 63, also faced allegations of sexual misconduct toward a minor from “ER” and “Top Gun” actor Anthony Edwards.

Edwards, 55, published a blog post Friday alleging he was molested by Goddard — a mentor and manager during his early career — for “years” after meeting him aged 12.

“Gary is saddened by the false allegations,” a spokesman for the producer said, adding he denied Edwards’ account “unequivocally.”

The allegations are the latest in an intensifying scandal, sparked by accusations that Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein had a decades-long history of sexual harassment and rape.

The revelations caused scores more women and men to speak out about Weinstein’s behavior and that of others in the entertainment industry, including “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey, director James Toback, comedian Louis C.K. and others.

Adopting the post-Suharto Reformasi movement in the late 1990s as a point of departure, the series of films being featured explores diverse trajectories within Indonesian independent cinema as a vibrant agent of change, through the dissemination of knowledge and engagement with social reality.

In this section, the first shorts programme, “Redefining Togetherness”, seeks to expand on the idea of collective gatherings, from revolutionary groups to the public observer, the people in unity. Among the selected short films to be screened are “The Nameless Boy” that was shot during one of the biggest demonstrations against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Jakarta’s former governor who was charged for blasphemy; and “Along the One Way”, depicting the run up to Election day and how the future leadership of Surakarta is at stake, especially with religious issues being propagated in certain circles.

The other part, Grassroots Cinema, showcases the building of the film community, empowering youths and telling the stories of the people. The feature films reflect the diverse regional and stylistic characteristics of the archipelago’s burgeoning new era. Among the films are “Trading Places”, “Mirror”, “The Tale of Urut Sewu”, and “Drowned Eyes”.

The 28th SGIFF, which runs from November 23 to December 3, will take place across various venues, including Marina Bay Sands, Shaw Theatres Lido, National Museum of Singapore, National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House, Filmgarde Bugis+, Objectifs and SCAPE